TODAY’S READINGS

The immediate aftermath of the calling of Levi (Lk 5:27-32) gives Jesus an opportunity to impart an important principal on the judgmental Pharisees:

“Those who are healthy do not need a physician, but the sick do.
I have not come to call the righteous to repentance but sinners.” (vv. 31-32)

“Jesus did not come to perpetuate Old Covenant standards of righteousness, which were designed to separate Israel from the sins and uncleanness of their Gentile neighbors (Lev 20:26). Jesus brings a new standard of righteousness that tears down the wall that barricades Israel from other nations, as he stretches the boundaries of God’s covenant family to include everyone in need of mercy, even tax collectors and sinners.” (The Gospel of Luke [The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible], 30-31)

“This implies that the sin is the real illness and that ‘tax collectors and sinners’ are the sick who need healing:’I saw their ways, / but I will heal them’ (Isa 57:18). Jesus has just taught this lesson by forgiving the paralyzed man’s sins before healing him physically. By eating with tax collectors and sinners (see Luke 7:34; 15:1-2; 19:5), Jesus does not condone their sins but calls them to repentance. At the end of the Gospel, Jesus will commission his disciples to continue this mission by proclaiming repentance and the forgiveness of sins (24:47).” (The Gospel of Luke [Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture], 120)

“[Jesus] eating with sinners is part of his mission. He does not simply preach to them but associates with them and draws them into fellowship with himself. He has come to call sinners to repentance — to profoundly reformed lives, a reorientation of their thinking and behavior. repentance is not a precondition for associating with Jesus but a consequence of it.” (Bringing the Gospel of Luke to Life, 152)

It seems to me, the biggest problem the Pharisees had is they thought they were righteous. Had they been paying an iota of prayerful attention to Jesus teaching (and certainly they knew it, since they were constantly following Him and looking for ways to accuse Him, denounce Him, and trap Him), they would have come to realize that none are completely righteous — we all are sinners. Yes, some may be in ICU, others in an urgent care, and still others with just a nagging cold, but we all need the Divine Physician to heal us. Self-righteous and judgmental the Pharisees were; what they especially needed was open-heart surgery to give God — who they claimed to know yet missed Him in their midst — access to enter them and transform them.

And so we should also allow the Lord to work on us. Let us go to Dr. Jesus for the diagnosis (we can go daily and it’s free — no costly health insurance required). Following His prescription, we are assured of the prognosis: eternal beatitude.

For related information, check out my friend Mike Aquilina’s article. Even better, dive into a full-length treatment from him, The Healing Imperative.

REMINDER

My daily ten-minute Eucharist for Lent vidcasts continue today, where we continue looking at the CCC, this time focusing on the Last Supper. Also mentioned: an article encouraging us to look at Lent through a Eucharistic lens.

God bless.